Smart textiles and advanced composites TENCATE MATERIALIZED

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Smart textiles and advanced composites
Protective Fabrics
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Aerospace Composites
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Geosynthetics
Industrial Fabrics
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Smart teXtileS and adVanced cOmPOSiteS
intrOductiOn
rOYal ten cate
The multinational company Royal Ten Cate (TenCate) combines
textile technology with related chemical processes and material
technology in the development and production of functional
materials with distinctive characteristics. Products of TenCate are
sold worldwide.
Systems and materials from TenCate come in four areas of
application: safety and protection, space and aerospace,
infrastructure and the environment, and sport and recreation. TenCate
occupies leading positions in protective fabrics, composites for
space and aerospace, antiballistics, geosynthetics and synthetic turf.
Since 2005 TenCate is sponsoring the Solar Team Twente of the
University of Twente with a series of functional materials, which may
be decisive for their successes during the World Solar Challenges in
Australia. Every two years, in one week time the team drives a
distance of 3,010 km from Darwin to Adelaide, straight through the
outback.
c h a l l e n g i n g fu t u r e te c h n o l o g y
adVanced cOmPOSiteS
TenCate Advanced Composites develops and produces composites
for space and aerospace and industrial applications. TenCate
Advanced Composites has plants in Europe and North-America.
PrOtectiVe FaBricS
TenCate Protective Fabrics develops and produces protective and
safety fabrics for industry, services, firefighting and defence.
TenCate Protective Fabrics has plants in Europe, Asia and North-
America.
OutdOOr FaBricS
TenCate Outdoor Fabrics develops and produces protective fabrics
for outdoor applications. TenCate Outdoor Fabrics has a plant in
Europe.
© visuals frontpage and pages 2 and 3
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SMART TEXTILES AND ADVANCED COMPOSITES 3

adVanced cOmPOSiteS
SOlar team twente 2009
liGHtweiGHt Structure
For the solar car 2009, TenCate has offered the team a wide range
of space and aerospace composites. These are produced by
TenCate Advanced Composites in Nijverdal, The Netherlands.
TenCate supplied both TenCate Cetex ® RTL thermoplastic glass
reinforced carbon laminates, as high-end core thermoplastic
materials – as used in TenCate Cetex ® System3 - for the production
of lightweight structural parts of the solar car.
In addition, carbon, glass and aramide texture is supplied for both
the curves of the solar car and for its structure. With its
sponsorship material TenCate strives for a substantial reduction of
the weight of the solar car of Solar Team Twente without affecting
the overall strength of the vehicle.
The frame of this solar car is 5 kilograms lighter. This is a weight
savings of 29.4 percent. The frame now only weighs 12 kilograms.
Another advantage of composite material is that it’s easy to finish,
making the surface of the vehicle smoother and more aerodynamic.
The total air-resistance of the solar car is 25 percent lower due to
the new design, the good finished surface and thanks to the flexible
body structure.
The main innovation in the solar car 2009 is the flexible, pivoting
body structure which connects the wing of the car to the frame.
This body structure is made of a thermoplastic elastomer which the
team uses to optimize the aerodynamic properties.
The solar car of Solar Team Twente distinguishes itself thanks to
the large amount of energy that is achieved by the tilting wing. The
wing moves with the sun, so that sunrays fall directly onto the solar
cells. This, together with the patented lens system, focuses solar
energy onto the underlying solar cells. Thus enabling the team to
generate 7.5 m2 of sunlight from 6 m2 of solar cells. This approach in
fact works like a magnifying glass.
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SMART TEXTILES AND ADVANCED COMPOSITES 5

Smart teXtileS
SOlar team twente 2009
liGHtweiGHt teXture
Solar Team Twente 2009 will be wearing red overalls made of
inherently heat and flame resistant fabric that is produced by
TenCate Protective Fabrics in Nijverdal, The Netherlands. This
lightweight TenCate Tecashield ® material is highly durable but also
stable through the use of meta-and para-aramid fibres.
TenCate Outdoor Fabrics will be supplying an inherently flame
retardant red garage tent for the solar car with
accompanying inherently flame retardant red
groundsheet for small repairs on the side of
the road. The team sleeps in inherently flame
retardant red tents made of TenCate fabric. Because all tents have
a pump up frame they can be set up fast and easy. The canvas of
TenCate Outdoor Fabrics is composed of a blend of four different
fibres, offering the canvas its inherently flame retardant qualities.
The material is strong, has great breathability properties, has
moisture-regulating capacity and is resistant to all weather
conditions. This is important because in Australia the temperature
can differ enormously between day and night.
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SMART TEXTILES AND ADVANCED COMPOSITES 7

adVanced cOmPOSiteS
SOlar team twente 2007
FiniSHed aS numBer 6
Like the aviation sector, the auto industry too has a great deal to
gain from the use of more composite materials. After all, these
materials are lighter than aluminium, stronger than steel and in
theory recyclable. The Twente One 2007, the solar car of the Solar
Team Twente 2007 is light thanks to aerospace composite materials
from TenCate. This sustainable vehicle achieved speeds as high as
126 kilometers per hour during the 2007 World Solar Challenge
through Australia and finished as number 6.
SOLAR TEAM TWENTE
cOmPOSite materialS
Thermoplastic and thermosetting materials of TenCate contribute to
more sustainable transport. The car racing industry is already
making considerable use of these innovative materials, which are
widely used in the aircraft and space industry. Solar Team Twente
2007 finished the more than 3,000 kilometers journey and won on
technology and innovation, thanks to the integrated pivoting wing,
made of aerospace composite: a novelty in the world of mobility.
Made with composite material, consisting of carbon fabric.
mOBile SOlar Panel
During the outback journey down under, the Twente One 2007 was
equipped with a solar panel that could be pivoted. This allowed the
most ideal angle of the sun – focused directly onto the solar cells –
to be achieved for the greater part of the day. In addition, a
patented lens system was used, in which the solar cells could
move under the lenses so that they always remained in focus. This
also produced extra solar energy.
Integrated pivoting solar panels Patented lens system Horizontal shock dampers
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SMART TEXTILES AND ADVANCED COMPOSITES 9

Smart teXtileS and adVanced cOmPOSiteS
SOlar team twente 2005
FiniSHed aS numBer 9
In 2005 TenCate for the first time sponsored the solar car of Solar
Team Twente, then called SolUTra. As best newcomer in the 2005
World Solar Challenge this car finished in ninth place. According to
participants in this race, the SolUTra was one of the best solar cars
in the field of aerodynamics. This car has been the basis for
subsequent teams from the University of Twente. Solar Team
Twente 2005 was also provided with overalls of TenCate Protective
Fabrics and tents of TenCate Outdoor Fabrics for both the teams
and the solar car.
Solar Team University of Twente
inteGratiOn OF cHaSSiS and BOdY
An important feature of the SolUTra is the integration of the chassis
and the body in the form of a monocoque construction with an
aerodynamic top. Simply put this means that the frame and the
outer shell of the solar car are combined as a whole using plastic
material reinforced with fibre tissue. This made it possible to
design and develop a chassis that is strong but also light.
FrOnt wHeel SuSPenSiOn
The front wheel suspension is designed according to the double
wishbone principle. In fact, these are two superimposed triangular
structures in which the wheel is stuck. The damper is directly fixed
to the ball joints, the connection between the two triangles lying on
top of each other. Besides a normal handlebar to turn the wheels,
the SolUTra has an extra handlebar to turn the wheel covers as
well.
rear wHeel SuSPenSiOn
Another nice detail of the SolUTra is the rear wheel suspension.
This one is made of thin aluminium sheet combined with aluminium
milled parts. The applied box principle and the finishing with rows
of pop nails make the rear wheel suspension complete.
Front wheel suspension Rear wheel suspension
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